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1:03pm Friday 21st March 2008
BOLTON North-East MP David Crausby has defended his decision to vote for the controversial closure of more than 2,500 Post Offices.
Mr Crausby said the programme of closures was necessary to ensure the survival of the business.
The Government narrowly avoided an embarrassing defeat in the Commons this week over their plans to close the Post Offices. Labour's majority was reduced to just 20, with Lib Dems and Tories voting together.
The first wave of Post Office closures has been announced across the country, those facing the axe in Greater Manchester due to be announced in June.
Deborah Dunlevy, prospective parliamentary candidate for Bolton North-east, said: "We know which Labour Ministers and MPs are against Post Office closures.
"I am very disappointed that David Crausby MP voted for Post Office closures in Bolton North East. The people of Bolton rely on not only the precious services they offer, but in many places the vital part of the community they play. Not everybody is able to travel three miles to access one.
"We should be helping the Post Offices offer more services rather than closing them down."
But Mr Crausby said the Labour Party would commit £1.7 billion to the business.
He also said he would fight to keep local Post Offices open if they served a need in the community.
Mr Crausby said: "Leaving the Post Office to market forces would lead to the closure of more branches. The Conservatives want to suspend the programme of Post Office closures but won't commit any money.
"Under their proposal 10,000 branches would close."
He added: "The post office network does serve an important need but cannot survive in its current form. We need to have a look at the network and for example cannot have a two close to each other. If I disagree with a closure I will fight it."
Mr Crausby said a way to ensure the viability of the Post Office was for the public to use them.
Mrs Dunlevy said that, under the Conservatives, services, such as buying a television licence, would be reinstated.
She said: "Mr Crausby cannot fight to keep a post office open once he has voted for the programme."
RockyRereturns, Bicester says...
3:49pm Fri 21 Mar 08
RockyRereturns, Bicester says...
4:11pm Fri 21 Mar 08
markd, bolton says...
4:36pm Fri 21 Mar 08
Breightmetblogger, bolton says...
5:13pm Fri 21 Mar 08
Breightmetblogger, bolton says...
5:14pm Fri 21 Mar 08
Tubby Scruff, says...
5:45pm Fri 21 Mar 08
Apparaently the £1.7 billion being put into them isnt enough!
wes t howfen, howfen says...
6:52pm Fri 21 Mar 08
donmarg, devon says...
7:48pm Fri 21 Mar 08
wes t howfen, howfen says...
10:37pm Fri 21 Mar 08
tosh, says...
8:26am Sat 22 Mar 08
RockyRereturns, Bicester says...
9:33am Sat 22 Mar 08
donmarg wrote:It is the governments attempt to justify ID cards.
Dear Minister,
how true is this
I'm in the process of renewing my passport but I am a total loss to understand or believe the hoops I am being asked to jump through. How is it that Bert Smith of T.V. Rentals in Basingstoke has my address and telephone number and knows that I bought a satellite dish from them back in 1994, and yet, the Government is still asking me where I was born and on what date?
How come that nice West African immigrant chappy who comes round every Thursday night with his DVD rentals van can tell me every film or video I have had out since he started his business up eleven years ago, yet you still want me to remind you of my last three jobs, two of which were with contractors working for the government?
How come the T.V. detector van can tell if my T.V. is on, what channel I am watching and whether I have paid my licence or not, and yet if I win the government run lottery they have no idea I have won or where I am and will keep the bloody money to themselves if I fail to claim in good time.
Do you people do this by hand?
You have my birth date on numerous files you hold on me, including the one with all the income tax forms I've filed for the past 40-odd years. It's on my health insurance card, my driver's licence, on the last four passports I've had, on all those stupid customs declaration forms I've had to fill out before being allowed off the planes and boats over the last 30 years, and all those insufferable census forms that are done every ten years and the electoral registration forms I have to complete, by law, every time our lords and masters are up for re-election.
Would somebody please take note, once and for all, I was born in Maidenhead on the 4th of March 1957, my mother's name is Mary, her maiden name was Reynolds, my father's name is Robert, and I'd be absolutely astounded if that ever changed between now and the day I die!
I apologise Minister. I'm obviously not myself this morning. But between you and me, I have simply had enough! You mail the application to my house, then you ask me for my address. What is going on?
Do you have a gang of Neanderthals working there? Look at my **** picture. Do I look like Bin Laden? I don't want to activate the Fifth Reich for God's sake! I just want to go and park my weary backside on a sunny, sandy beach for a couple of week's well-earned rest away from all this crap.
Well, I have to go now, because I have to go to back to Salisbury and get another copy of my birth certificate because you lost the last one. AND to the tune of 60 quid! What a racket THAT is!! Would it be so complicated to have all the services in the same spot to assist in the issuance of a new passport the same day? But nooooo, that'd be too **** easy and maybe make sense. You'd rather have us running all over the place like chickens with our heads cut off, then find some tosser to confirm that it's really me on the **** picture - you know... the one where we're not allowed to smile in case we look as if we are enjoying the process!
Hey, you know why we can't smile? 'Cause we're totally fed up! I served in the armed forces for more than 25 years including over ten years at the Ministry of Defence in London. I have had security clearances which allowed me to sit in the Cabinet Office, five seats away from the Prime Minister while he was being briefed on the first Gulf War and I have been doing volunteer work for the British Red Cross ever since I left the Services. However, I have to get someone 'important' to verify who I am -- you know, someone like my doctor...
Who, before he got his medical degree 6 months ago.........
WAS BORN AND RAISED IN PAKISTAN!!!
Yours sincerely,
An Irate British Citizen
donmarg, devon says...
10:58am Sat 22 Mar 08
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Tubby Scruff, says...
1:50pm Fri 21 Mar 08
To vote for closure, the say I'll fight ? Doesn't make sense, you either agree or disagree and not depending on which hat your wearing.
What is the point in closing P.O.'s, them giving them £1.7 billion?
And for once, Ms. Dunleavy has showed some common sense. I heard the interview with the dippy hippy guy in charge of closures on NWT, don't know what he'd been on but he didn't make sense either, all ifs a buts, talk about sitting on the fence.
The big boss Crozier ? As slippery as they come.